The USA Men's Hockey Team won again on Wednesday beating Switzerland 2-0. They already beat the host team Canada last weekend earning a first round bye. Now Team USA is just two wins away from bringing home another Gold Medal.
After beating Canada on Sunday, it looked like there might be a repeat of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice," when an outmatched USA team beat the favored Soviet Union who, at the time, was considered the best team in the world. Both Russia and USA had first round byes but Russia lost on Wednesday to Canada 7-3. So, it now looks like the road to gold leads back to the Canadian team who is again the favorite after beating Russia.
What most people don't realize about the Miracle on Ice of 1980 is that Team USA did not win the Gold Medal after beating the Soviet Union. They also had to beat a very good Finland team. If Team USA was to win Gold this year, it would be the first time since beating Finland for the Gold in 1980. In fact, USA has only won one other medal (Silver in 2002 Winter Olympics) in Hockey.
Good luck Team USA! Bring home another Gold!!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Man Vs. Wild
A killer whale killed his trainer at Orlando Sea World Wednesday afternoon. The 12,000 pound killer whale (Tallikum) jumped up and grabbed his female trainer (Dawn Brancheau) by the arm taking her underwater and drowning her. is the largest male at any Sea World. Both the whale and trainer where reported to be veterans at the theme park with the whale being at the theme park since 1992 and the trainer having 16 years of experience.
This event makes me think of another animal attacking his trainer. You all probably remember when Roy of Siegfried and Roy was attacked by a tiger in a show in 2003. He was lucky to be alive after being dragged from the stage by his neck. Both Roy and the tiger were experienced with these shows.
This brings me to the point "a wild animal will always be a wild animal." It is kind of like the story of the Indian boy and the snake. The Indian boy has to climb a snow covered mountain as his right of passage to manhood. As the boy is climbing the mountain he encounters a poisonous snake. The snake asks the Indian to pick him up and carry him to the bottom of the mountain where he can warm up. But the Indian says "you are a snake and you will bite me." The snake promises he will not bite the boy because if he did how would he get to the bottom of the mountain without freezing. After thinking about it the boy decided to take the snake to the bottom of the mountain. He put the snake in his shirt to help keep the snake warm on the trip down. When they got to the bottom of the mountain the boy took the snake from his shirt. As the boy sat the snake down it struck and bit him. The Indian boy, knowing he was going to die after the poisonous bite, asked the snake why it bit him. The snake said "you knew I was a snake when you picked me up."
This isn't the exact meaning of the fable but it still works. These trainers knew what the animals were capable of before choosing their line of work.
This event makes me think of another animal attacking his trainer. You all probably remember when Roy of Siegfried and Roy was attacked by a tiger in a show in 2003. He was lucky to be alive after being dragged from the stage by his neck. Both Roy and the tiger were experienced with these shows.
This brings me to the point "a wild animal will always be a wild animal." It is kind of like the story of the Indian boy and the snake. The Indian boy has to climb a snow covered mountain as his right of passage to manhood. As the boy is climbing the mountain he encounters a poisonous snake. The snake asks the Indian to pick him up and carry him to the bottom of the mountain where he can warm up. But the Indian says "you are a snake and you will bite me." The snake promises he will not bite the boy because if he did how would he get to the bottom of the mountain without freezing. After thinking about it the boy decided to take the snake to the bottom of the mountain. He put the snake in his shirt to help keep the snake warm on the trip down. When they got to the bottom of the mountain the boy took the snake from his shirt. As the boy sat the snake down it struck and bit him. The Indian boy, knowing he was going to die after the poisonous bite, asked the snake why it bit him. The snake said "you knew I was a snake when you picked me up."
This isn't the exact meaning of the fable but it still works. These trainers knew what the animals were capable of before choosing their line of work.
Friday, February 19, 2010
cold weather survival tips
After a couple of beautiful days this last week I have been looking forward to some outdoor recreational activities. Then I saw the weather for this weekend. That's right it is supposed to snow again. This made me think of what I would do if I got stuck out in this kind of weather while camping or hiking or any other outdoor activity. So, I decided to share a few survival tips for inclimate weather. I thought this would be good for anyone who lives in a climate like our region of the world. Being from Missouri we know how quick the weather can change from 50 and sunny to 30 with freezing rain and snow.
First off you should always let someone know where you are going and about when you should be back. It would be a good idea to map out the area before you go and check the forecast for the area. You should also charge your cell phone before you leave your house. If you do have cell phone service where ever you are going it would be a shame not to be able to use it because of a dead battery.
You should always carry a first aid and survival kit in your vehicle even if you aren't planning a trip or recreation. There is no telling when you might need it. In the first aid and survival kit you should include but is not limited to the following
bottled water
matches or a lighter
a blanket
a change of clothes
some food like granola bars or energy bars
a flashlight and extra batteries
a water proof jacket
a utility tool
an assortment of bandages (ace bandages and band aids)
medicine (like benadryl, ibuprofen, and Tylenol)
If you know that the weather might turn cold you should dress in layers and try to avoid cotton clothing. Cotton is the most common fabric for our clothing because of comfort. But, if it gets wet it will hold the water longer than other materials. Wool clothing is the best because of its insulating properties and it does not hold water as like cotton. I have an acronym to make clothing easy to remember.
C- Keep clothing clean. Dirty and oily clothing loose there insulating properties.
O- Avoid overheating. When you overheat you sweat and when you sweat which is the bodies process of cooling itself. It also dampens your clothing which takes away from their insulating properties.
L- Dress loose and in layers. The layers allow you to prevent sweating by taking of or opening a layer of clothing. Loose clothing allows air in the spaces between layers to add insulation. Also dressing in restrictive of tight clothing decreases blood circulation.
D- Keep clothing dry. The easiest way to do this is to wear a water proof outer layer and avoid sweating to keep the inner layers dry.
If you can not leave the area you are in or can not reach your car, it would be beneficial if you could make a shelter or find something to block the wind. Just getting out of the wind will help to keep you warm.
One of the most important aspects of survival in cold weather is to keep a positive attitude. The will to survive can do a lot for a person even if they are not well equipped for the cold weather.
I found a pretty cool quiz about winter survival through Field and Stream if you would like to assess your own understanding of cold weather survival. I hope some of this information can help you if you ever find yourself in a bad situation.
First off you should always let someone know where you are going and about when you should be back. It would be a good idea to map out the area before you go and check the forecast for the area. You should also charge your cell phone before you leave your house. If you do have cell phone service where ever you are going it would be a shame not to be able to use it because of a dead battery.
You should always carry a first aid and survival kit in your vehicle even if you aren't planning a trip or recreation. There is no telling when you might need it. In the first aid and survival kit you should include but is not limited to the following
bottled water
matches or a lighter
a blanket
a change of clothes
some food like granola bars or energy bars
a flashlight and extra batteries
a water proof jacket
a utility tool
an assortment of bandages (ace bandages and band aids)
medicine (like benadryl, ibuprofen, and Tylenol)
If you know that the weather might turn cold you should dress in layers and try to avoid cotton clothing. Cotton is the most common fabric for our clothing because of comfort. But, if it gets wet it will hold the water longer than other materials. Wool clothing is the best because of its insulating properties and it does not hold water as like cotton. I have an acronym to make clothing easy to remember.
C- Keep clothing clean. Dirty and oily clothing loose there insulating properties.
O- Avoid overheating. When you overheat you sweat and when you sweat which is the bodies process of cooling itself. It also dampens your clothing which takes away from their insulating properties.
L- Dress loose and in layers. The layers allow you to prevent sweating by taking of or opening a layer of clothing. Loose clothing allows air in the spaces between layers to add insulation. Also dressing in restrictive of tight clothing decreases blood circulation.
D- Keep clothing dry. The easiest way to do this is to wear a water proof outer layer and avoid sweating to keep the inner layers dry.
If you can not leave the area you are in or can not reach your car, it would be beneficial if you could make a shelter or find something to block the wind. Just getting out of the wind will help to keep you warm.
One of the most important aspects of survival in cold weather is to keep a positive attitude. The will to survive can do a lot for a person even if they are not well equipped for the cold weather.
I found a pretty cool quiz about winter survival through Field and Stream if you would like to assess your own understanding of cold weather survival. I hope some of this information can help you if you ever find yourself in a bad situation.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Big day for U.S. Olympians
Wednesday was one of the greatest days for U.S. in Winter Olympics history. The United States earned 6 medals throughout the course of the day. This included Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Shani Davis all receiving Gold Medals.
One of the most popular U.S. Olympians, Shaun White, dominated his competition in the half pipe last night. He was so good at his event that he had already wrapped up the gold medal before he even made his third and final run. Another U.S. snowboarder Scotty Lego won Bronze in the half pipe. It is amazing to see such a young man win the way he did. He now has two Olympic gold medals at the age of 23 and probably has more to come.
Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso earned gold and silver medals for the United States in the Women's downhill alpine skiing. It was the first time since 1984 that the U.S. finished first and second in this event. Vonn and Mancuso finished just 56 hundredths of a second apart.
U.S. Olympian Shani Davis placed first in men's 1000 meter speed skating with fellow Olympian Chad Hedrick coming in third. With Davis' gold and Hedrick's bronze medals the U.S. won 6 medals.
What could be better for U.S. Olympics than listening to the National Anthem and seeing our Stars and Stripes raised 3 times for 3 different events?
One of the most popular U.S. Olympians, Shaun White, dominated his competition in the half pipe last night. He was so good at his event that he had already wrapped up the gold medal before he even made his third and final run. Another U.S. snowboarder Scotty Lego won Bronze in the half pipe. It is amazing to see such a young man win the way he did. He now has two Olympic gold medals at the age of 23 and probably has more to come.
Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso earned gold and silver medals for the United States in the Women's downhill alpine skiing. It was the first time since 1984 that the U.S. finished first and second in this event. Vonn and Mancuso finished just 56 hundredths of a second apart.
U.S. Olympian Shani Davis placed first in men's 1000 meter speed skating with fellow Olympian Chad Hedrick coming in third. With Davis' gold and Hedrick's bronze medals the U.S. won 6 medals.
What could be better for U.S. Olympics than listening to the National Anthem and seeing our Stars and Stripes raised 3 times for 3 different events?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
There has been talk in the last few months of repealing the military Don't Ask, Don't Tell(DADT) policy and to allow open homosexuals to join our U.S. Military. As an Iraqi Veteran and current Army Reserve member I have a strong opinion about this issue.
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy basically states that military members should keep their sexual orientation to themselves. It does not say that gays and lesbians can not join the military. They just can't talk about it to others (don't tell). It also states that a soldier's superiors can not investigate someones personal life to find out what their sexual orientation is (don't ask).
I personally feel that there is no place for open homosexuals in our military. Don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with someone being a homosexual. It is that individuals decision. I just don't want to be unwillingly subjected to it, which will happen if the military DADT policy is abolished. Just the thought of it makes me uncomfortable.
What if a homosexual service member tried to make a move on me while we were in the showers? (by the way, military barracks have community bathrooms) I would probably turn around and punch the guy in the face. Would this be considered self-defense or protecting my personal space? Would I be prosecuted for a Federal Hate Crime because the guy is an open homosexual? Personally, I don't think this should be a problem that I should have to worry about. What if it happened to you? Would you feel comfortable around that soldier? What if you were in a guard tower in Iraq with that soldier? Don't you think that would make you uncomfortable too!!
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy basically states that military members should keep their sexual orientation to themselves. It does not say that gays and lesbians can not join the military. They just can't talk about it to others (don't tell). It also states that a soldier's superiors can not investigate someones personal life to find out what their sexual orientation is (don't ask).
I personally feel that there is no place for open homosexuals in our military. Don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with someone being a homosexual. It is that individuals decision. I just don't want to be unwillingly subjected to it, which will happen if the military DADT policy is abolished. Just the thought of it makes me uncomfortable.
What if a homosexual service member tried to make a move on me while we were in the showers? (by the way, military barracks have community bathrooms) I would probably turn around and punch the guy in the face. Would this be considered self-defense or protecting my personal space? Would I be prosecuted for a Federal Hate Crime because the guy is an open homosexual? Personally, I don't think this should be a problem that I should have to worry about. What if it happened to you? Would you feel comfortable around that soldier? What if you were in a guard tower in Iraq with that soldier? Don't you think that would make you uncomfortable too!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
City of Joplin pay raise
Has anyone else seen or herd about Joplin City Counsil approving a 3 percent raise for City of Joplin employees? Sure, most of them probally do deserve a raise. But, is this the right time to give one? Where does the City of Joplins money come from anyway? Oh, that's right. It is part of my our tax money. So, everyone who makes a purchase in Joplin will be paying for more sales tax to acommidate for their raise.
According to the article in yesterdays Joplin Globe the 3 percent raise will cost Joplin shoppers around $800,000. There are a lot of people looking for jobs right now after being laid off this past year. There are probably going to be more in the year to come. So, how do these public servants feel justified asking for more of their money. Maybe I should talk to the company I work for (a wholesale company that sells a lot of products to the City of Joplin) into charging the city more money so that I can get a raise and get some of my tax money back.
According to the article in yesterdays Joplin Globe the 3 percent raise will cost Joplin shoppers around $800,000. There are a lot of people looking for jobs right now after being laid off this past year. There are probably going to be more in the year to come. So, how do these public servants feel justified asking for more of their money. Maybe I should talk to the company I work for (a wholesale company that sells a lot of products to the City of Joplin) into charging the city more money so that I can get a raise and get some of my tax money back.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Haiti Relief Fund Fraud
I have read several stories about how fraudulent websites had been set up within hours of the catastrophic earthquakes in Haiti. I do not understand why these scammers feel the need to rob from someone who is willing to help others in need. Do they have no moral compass? Are they just trying to make a few quick bucks?
Scammers have tried everything from fraudulent websites and messages sent using social networking sites to going door to door and asking for donations. A man going door-to-door in Michigan was arrested by the FBI. He was impersonating an FBI Agent and asking for monetary donations for the Haitian children.
Please be aware of scammers if you have donated or are planning to donate to Haitian relief or any other charities. I found a site on how to avoid these scams. I think the most important tips are to donate to well established organizations and don't donate directly to an individual. If you suspect fraud, you can also call the National Disaster Fraud Hotline given in USA Today. If you don't want to check it out the number is 1-866-720-5721.
If any of these criminals are caught, I think they should be made to serve time helping in the Haiti relief efforts and/or other disaster sites. It would be better for them to be made to help others than for them to sit in prison and be served.
Scammers have tried everything from fraudulent websites and messages sent using social networking sites to going door to door and asking for donations. A man going door-to-door in Michigan was arrested by the FBI. He was impersonating an FBI Agent and asking for monetary donations for the Haitian children.
Please be aware of scammers if you have donated or are planning to donate to Haitian relief or any other charities. I found a site on how to avoid these scams. I think the most important tips are to donate to well established organizations and don't donate directly to an individual. If you suspect fraud, you can also call the National Disaster Fraud Hotline given in USA Today. If you don't want to check it out the number is 1-866-720-5721.
If any of these criminals are caught, I think they should be made to serve time helping in the Haiti relief efforts and/or other disaster sites. It would be better for them to be made to help others than for them to sit in prison and be served.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
KURT WARNER
Kurt Warner announced his retirement from the NFL last Friday at age 38. His retirement marks the end of a storybook career.
In his 12 seasons in the NFL he was selected to 5 Pro Bowls, won 2 NFL MVP Awards, appeared in 3 Super Bowls, and won one Super Bowl MVP. He did all of this and wasn't even drafted.
Kurt Warner played college football at University of Northern Iowa. He did not get to play until his senior year. When he Finally got the chance to play, he became his conference's offensive player of the year.
After college, he was signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1994, but was released before the season started. After being released he went back to Iowa. While waiting to get another chance at the NFL he worked at a Hy-Vee grocery store stocking shelves. Kurt then joined the Arena Football League. He played in the AFL, from 1995 to 1997, before getting another chance in the NFL. While in the AFL, he was named First-team All-Arena twice. He took his team, the Iowa Barnstorm, to the Arena Bowl both years.
Kurt Warner finally reached the NFL in 1998 when he was signed by the St. Louis Rams. The Rams sent him to NFL Europe ,where he led the league in passing touchdowns and passing yards, before returning to the U.S. for the 98 season. He did not get to start for the Rams until 1999. After getting a chance to start, he became a star. He took the Rams to two Super Bowls winning one of them. After getting injured and having turnover problems the Rams released him in 2003. He then played sparingly for New York Giants in 2004.
In 2005 he was signed with the Arizona Cardinals to be a back-up for Heisman Trophy Winner Matt Leinart. He once again became the star of an NFL team when Matt Leinart didn't work out as the Cardinals had planned. He was able to take another team to the Super Bowl. His team's loss in the 2009 Playoffs brought his NFL career to a close.
In his 12 seasons in the NFL he was selected to 5 Pro Bowls, won 2 NFL MVP Awards, appeared in 3 Super Bowls, and won one Super Bowl MVP. He did all of this and wasn't even drafted.
Kurt Warner played college football at University of Northern Iowa. He did not get to play until his senior year. When he Finally got the chance to play, he became his conference's offensive player of the year.
After college, he was signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1994, but was released before the season started. After being released he went back to Iowa. While waiting to get another chance at the NFL he worked at a Hy-Vee grocery store stocking shelves. Kurt then joined the Arena Football League. He played in the AFL, from 1995 to 1997, before getting another chance in the NFL. While in the AFL, he was named First-team All-Arena twice. He took his team, the Iowa Barnstorm, to the Arena Bowl both years.
Kurt Warner finally reached the NFL in 1998 when he was signed by the St. Louis Rams. The Rams sent him to NFL Europe ,where he led the league in passing touchdowns and passing yards, before returning to the U.S. for the 98 season. He did not get to start for the Rams until 1999. After getting a chance to start, he became a star. He took the Rams to two Super Bowls winning one of them. After getting injured and having turnover problems the Rams released him in 2003. He then played sparingly for New York Giants in 2004.
In 2005 he was signed with the Arizona Cardinals to be a back-up for Heisman Trophy Winner Matt Leinart. He once again became the star of an NFL team when Matt Leinart didn't work out as the Cardinals had planned. He was able to take another team to the Super Bowl. His team's loss in the 2009 Playoffs brought his NFL career to a close.
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